Harris 2nd Qrt 07 Newsletter_7-26 (2)

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×³°´»³»²¬¿¬·±² The Basin Roundtables will be critical to implementing recommendations produced by their non-consumptive needs assessments. The implementation objectives are summarized in the figure here. É¿¬»® Í«°°´§ Î»»®ª» ß½½±«²¬ ¿²¼ Ì»½¸²·½¿´ ß·¬¿²½» Ì¿µ Ñ®¼»® Î»¯«»¬»¼ ¾§ Þ¿·² Î±«²¼¬¿¾´» The tables on the following pages summarize Water Supply Reserve Account funding requests and the status of the 1400 Task Orders. É¿¬»® ßª¿·´¿¾·´·¬§ Í¬«¼§ ±º Ý±´±®¿¼± Î·ª»® ¿²¼ Ì®·¾«¬¿®·» Í¬«¼§ Ð«®°±» Over the last decade Colorado has seen rapidly in creasing demands placed on our water supply by both traditional consumptive and more recent no n-consumptive (recreatio nal and environmental) uses. By the year 2030 Colo rado's population is expected to grow to about 7.1 million people (current estimates are approximately 4.5 million people). This population growth coupled with concerns over both the recent severe drought and projections of greater climate variability raises significant con- cerns over the water supplies Colorado has available to meet the needs of our citizens and the envi- ronment. The water availability study is in tended to help Colorado make wi se resource management decisions while acknowledging that there is a degree of uncer tainty as Colorado moves into the future. The study is intended to answer what on the face seems an easy question: The answer to that question will take in to consideration the following factors. – varies in time, location and amount. Agreement on how to consider these factors in a water availability study will be important to ga in greater understanding and acceptance of the study conclusion. As described later in this scope the initial study phase will focus on issues in a period of known hydrology and a period extended from known hydrology. - will include both legal and physical su pply considerations. Initially legal avail- ability will consider current demands. – water use consideration (also referred to as demands) should include existing absolute water rights. Water use can be measured in terms of consumptive use, gross diversions or total de- liveries. Categories of water us e include municipal (domestic and commercial), industrial, agricul- tural, water rights for instream environmental flows and water ri ghts for recreational in-channel diversions. The Study should examin e: 1) how non-consumptive uses within the priority system may affect Colorado's ability to fully develop its co nsumptive use apportionment; and, 2) how much water would remain for non-cons umptive uses if Colorado fully developed its apportionment. At various locations within the state initial water availability will be eva luated using the following formula: Water Availability = Physical Supply - Current Water Use (includes downstream demands) - 5 -